Study Finds Link between Paxil and Birth Defects

WebMD Health News reports…

The FDA and the drug company GlaxoSmithKline are alerting doctors about a new study on major birth defects seen in babies born to women who took the antidepressant Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy.

"Healthcare professionals are advised to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of using [Paxil] in women during pregnancy and to discuss these findings as well as treatment alternatives with their patients," the FDA says in a news release.

Paxil Linked to Twice as Many Birth Defects

GlaxoSmithKline recently conducted a study of major birth defects in infants born to women who took antidepressants (including Paxil) during the first trimester of pregnancy.

In a study of more than 3,500 pregnant women, Paxil was linked to twice as many major birth defects as other antidepressants, according to the FDA.

Birth defects are very rare in the U.S., and it's not certain what role, if any, Paxil played in the birth defects seen in the study, notes GlaxoSmithKline.

Changes have been made to the labeling information on pregnancy precautions that accompanies Paxil, says the FDA.

Most of the birth defects seen in the study were heart related; the most common heart malformations were ventricular septal defects, which are holes between the heart's two main pumping chambers.